Creamed Chipped Beef (SOS)

This particular recipe is comfort food at its best. My son, Eric, and my Stud Muffin request this breakfast the most. The saltiness of the chipped beef with the rich creamy white sauce will make your fat cells sing. It's a toss up as to whether or not you want it served over biscuits or toast. Some like it for breakfast, but it works well for dinner too. Creamed Chipped Beef, or SOS, in the army lingo. Toast, or biscuits. Decisions, decisions. Either way, you will love it!

Creamed Chipped Beef

• 1 (4 oz.) package chipped beef
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk

Cut beef into bite size pieces and set aside.

In a Dutch oven pot melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk stirring constantly until mixture almost comes to a boil, add meat, reduce heat and stir together well, let simmer until thickened. Serve immediately over toast or biscuits.

My family loves this served with Pillsbury Grand's biscuits (reduced fat) 8 pk. If eating with biscuits start baking the biscuits first, then make the creamed chipped beef while biscuits are baking. Great for breakfast or dinner. This recipe will make your fat cells sing!!!

Paella

Paella, and the magical ingredient in this awesome dish is saffron. It has a wonderful flavor that you will not be able to duplicate. This is an easy dish to feed a large crowd and has a little bit of everything in there. So try this little oven baked twist instead of simmering in a large skillet. Enjoy!

Paella

• 1 lb. Shady Brook hot or sweet Italian sausage (cut in half)
• 4 cups long grain white rice
• 8-10 boneless skinless chicken halves
• 8 cups chicken broth or prepared chicken base
• 2 green bell peppers, cut into chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into chunks
• ½ lb. fresh mushrooms, cut in half
• 2-3 packs saffron (3 grains) or ½ tsp
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 large onion cut into chunks
• 1 ½ lbs. andouille sausages, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 1 ½ dozen baby clams, cleaned
• 2 lbs. shrimp, large
• 2 lbs. mussels, cleaned

Brown hot turkey sausage, set aside. Meanwhile, in a very large roasting pan add rice, chicken, broth, green pepper, mushrooms, saffron, salsa and onion. Mix well. Add raw chicken and both types of sausages, layering evenly and covering with liquid. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.

Remove from oven, add clams on top. Cook 10 minutes more, covered.

Remove from oven again. Add shrimp and mussels. Cook covered for 10 more minutes or until clams and mussels have opened. Paella is ready when liquid is absorbed and rice is fully cooked. Enjoy!

This is a very easy dish to make and yummy! Great for a dinner crowd or you may cut recipe in half. This is a different twist on the traditional Paella, which is usually simmered on stove top.

Cucumber Dill Dip

I wanted to do a healthy dip this time around and I hit the jackpot on this one. This is fat free but it does not taste like it is. So if you like cucumber, you will love this refreshing dip. Also I wanted to keep it healthy with what I dipped into it as well. The pitas are yummy prepared this way too. So belly up and enjoy, your fat cells will think that they should be singing.

Cucumber & Dill Dip

• 2 large cucumbers
• ½ tsp. salt
• (2) 6 oz. containers of Greek plain non-fat yogurt
• (1) 16 oz. container of Sour Cream fat free
• ½ tsp. garlic powder w/ extra for sprinkling
• ¼ tsp. ground white pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, extra virgin
• 1 Tbsp. Aged White Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh Dill, finely chopped
• 1 package whole wheat pitas, 6 count
• 1 can of Pam olive oil spray

Peel cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise, then scoop out seeds with a spoon and discard seeds. Cut cucumbers halves into chunks and whirl in a food processor with ½ tsp of salt. Place cucumber mash in wire mesh drain and drain for 1 hour. You need to do this step so that the dip is not to watery and the salt will help pull out the moisture.

When cucumber mash has been drained place in a large bowl and add: greek yogurt, sour cream, ½ tsp garlic powder, white pepper, olive oil, vinegar and fresh dill. Mix well then cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a pizza cutter on a cutting board cut pitas in half, then cut each half into thirds. This will give you six triangles per pita. Repeat until all are cut. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil (it makes clean up easier). Spread out pitas single file and spray with Pam olive oil spray then lightly sprinkle garlic powder on pitas. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, you may serve them immediately with dip or store in a plastic bag for later.

Greek Orzo Salad

If you love to eat a Greek Salad you will be in love with this one. I just crave them from time to time. Well, you can have that wonderful flavor with this refreshing pasta salad. It is very easy to make and I like how refreshing and colorful it is. I always love a make ahead dish too. Mangia!

Greek Orzo Salad

• 1 ½ cups tri-color orzo, uncooked
• 1 cucumber, about 1 ½ cup prepared
• ½ cup sliced pepperoncinis
• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil
• 1 cup red onion sliced into slivers
• 4 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
• ½ cup Kalamata olives

Dressing

• 2/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder

Cook orzo pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise, then with a tablespoon carve out seeds and discard. Then slice both halves into thin slices. Add cucumber and the following into a large bowl: slice onion, then cut sun dried tomatoes into slivers with kitchen scissors. You can buy the pepperoncinis already sliced in a jar or whole, slice them if you need to.

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup and whisk together well. Once orzo is cooked drain and run cool water over to cool it down and to stop cooking. Once orzo is drained well add into the large bowl and add the olives and feta, mix together well. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

I like to use fat free Feta, it's the only fat free cheese that I like.

Bogus Bang Bang Shrimp

I'll tell you I just love, love, love the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill. So, curious me, I had to try to figure out the recipe. Only one thing, I like mine a tad bit more spicier than what they make it. So here's my version. Now if you don't want want it spicier only add 1 Tbsp of the Sriracha and chili sauce, but I highly recommend 2 Tbsp. of each. You can find the Asian sauces in any store that has an extensive ethnic aisle. Yum Yum!!!

Bogus Bang Bang Shrimp!

• 1 lb. of fresh shrimp (36/40 ct) peeled and deveined
• ½ cup Hellman's light mayonnaise
• 1 - 2 Tbsp. Tuong ot Sriracha sauce
• 1 - 2 Tbsp. Sweet Chili sauce, by Maggi Taste of Asia
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• ½ cup corn starch
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• Romaine, chopped
• green onions, sliced thin
• canola oil

In a large bowl mix together: mayonaisse, Sriracha, chili sauce and vinegar. Whisk together well and cover and refrigerate for later.

Peel and devein shrimp. Then place corn starch and panko bread crumbs on separate plates. Dip shrimp into corn starch lightly coating and tapping off excess. Then press shrimp down into panko bread crumbs and press them onto the top as well. You just want them randomly covered with the bread crumbs, not a thick coating. Lay on large platter as you coat and when all are done chill in refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. This will set the breading to the shrimp so that it will not fall off during cook time.

Heat oil over medium in a large nonstick skillet until you can smell the oil. If you are unsure if the oil is hot enough just drop in one crumb of panko, it's ready when it looks like it is bubbling away. Then add shrimp and cook for 4 minutes turning shrimp over halfway through. Remove with slotted spoon onto a paper lined platter to absorb excess oil. Then toss shrimp into the large bowl of prepared sauce and toss well until evenly coated. Serve in a small bowl piled high and garnish with green onion.

I recommend using 2 Tbsp of the Sriracha and chili sauce, if you're a baby about spice just cut it back to 1 Tbsp.

Turkey Meat Loaf

Meatloaf is a classic comfort food. I always make mine with mashed potatoes. My hubby has decided he likes meatloaf for breakfast, too. I heat it up in a nonstick skillet and he likes two fried eggs on top of it. As a special treat I will also make him potato cakes out of the leftover mashed potatoes. I'm telling you there is no stopping the man from the meatloaf. He will not rest until he has made "all gone." My favorite brand ground turkey is Shady Brook Farms.

Turkey Meat Loaf

• 1 ½ lbs. ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 small chopped onion, diced fine
• ½ (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 egg or ¼ cup egg beaters
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Sauce

• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. mustard powder
• ½ (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar

Mix turkey, bread crumbs, onion, ½ can sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Shape into a loaf, place mix into a 10 x 13 inch Pyrex dish. In a small sauce pan, mix rest of sauce, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and water. Heat and stir until mustard and sugar are mixed. Pour over meat and bake at 350° for 1 to 1 ½ hours. I always serve this with mashed potatoes and peas or green beans.

Leftovers make a great sandwich. You may eat it cold or slice and cook in nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking oil. Heat one side then flip over melt a slice of cheese on top. Serve on toasted bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Yummy!

Shrimp Creole

Our craving this week: Shrimp. Mmm! My Stud Muffin requested this recipe and I'm so glad he did because I enjoyed this one just as much a he did. He said, "You nailed it!" Shrimpies are one of my all time favorites. This one will warm you up all over. I want to warn you that it is spicy, so if you are cry baby about that then don't try it. No cry babies allowed in Cajun country. So Let the Feasty Begin!

I am proud to say that we will be celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary this coming Sunday. I have attached a pic of Gary, a.k.a. Stud Muffin, and I. Happy Anniversary Stud Muffin!

Shrimp Creole

• 2 lbs. 10/12 count wild caught shrimp
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup white wine (good enough to drink)
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped finely
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. butter or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. white pepper
• ¼ tsp. thyme
• ¼ tsp. paprika
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 cups uncooked long grain brown or white rice, cooked according to package directions

The first thing you need to do is peel the shrimp, but do not throw away the shells because you will need them. Once the shrimp are peeled you need to devein them and cut into bite size pieces. Then place them in a covered bowl in refrigerator until ready to add to creole.

In a 2 qt. pot add the tomato sauce, 1 cup of water and the shrimp shells. Yes, the shrimp shells. Simmering this will make a delicious shrimp base. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for one hour stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile in a 4 ½ qt. dutch oven pot add the remaining ingredients except for the corn starch. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover to cook for one hour as well. This is a perfect time to cook the rice.

Once the creole mixture has simmered you will need to take the tomato sauce, shells and water mixture and pour though a wire mesh strainer carefully pressing down with a large spoon on the shrimp shells to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Be careful not to let any shells fall into the creole sauce. Discard shells.

Cover and bring creole sauce back up to a good simmer again. Meanwhile mix 2 Tbsp. corn starch with 4 Tbsp. cold water making sure it is mixed well and there are no lumps. Add to simmering creole sauce and mix well, simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Once mixture is slightly thickened raise heat to medium and bring to a boil. Add shrimp at this time and cook for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately over cooked rice.